The past month has been incredibly busy but very exciting. Mannheim has so much to offer, and it's been great being in the center of Europe. Earlier this month I traveled to Bruges, Belgium with three of my friends. As much as I enjoyed my solo travels in September, it was really nice to have people to see the city with. We had a lot of fun walking around the beautiful historic city together, and we rented an Airbnb right on the Belgian coast, about 20 meters from the beach. After that weekend, however, I was forced to really jump into my classes as they were getting harder and more intense. I took a forensic psychology seminar that lasted 4 full days, which was really interesting, but involved a lot of long hours. As my classes have gotten more difficult, I have also started to enjoy them more. It was a little difficult for me to get into them at first, just because they weren't exactly what I was expecting. In my social science, most of my readings are empirical studies, which were difficult for me to understand at first. There has also been more coursework than I am used to, which involves writing three or four short response papers per class. This month I learned that as fun as it is to spend my time meeting people, socializing, and traveling, it is necessary that I take my classes seriously and dedicate enough time to them. Now I'm really enjoying my classes, and am able to participate more during class discussions. The readings make more sense, and I am used to the workload.
This month I also decided to extend my study abroad experience and stay in Mannheim for next semester. This was a big decision that was influenced by how much I am enjoying my time here, and my desire not to return to my home school, Mount Holyoke, right away. I think I need some more time to experience everything that study abroad has to offer, and I am so excited that I will be able to continue to study here. I will go home briefly for winter break, and then come back before the spring semester starts in order to have time to travel. Next semester I hope to go to Ireland, Poland, Morocco, and Greece. I might not be able to do everything I want, but either way I know it will be a great experience. I feel very good about my decision and am no longer sad about the time passing so quickly.
